1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a turkey call, a device which simulates the sound of a wild turkey.
2. Description of Related Art
Animal calls have been widely used for centuries by hunters, naturists, and photographers to attract turkeys, squirrels, and other wild game. The disclosed invention is written in terms of turkeys, but the applicability of its principles to other game is obvious.
There are many types of calls, mechanical and electronic, but the most widely used is the so-called xe2x80x9cfrictionxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9crubbingxe2x80x9d resonator call (Hall, U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,858) in which a vibratory rod with a resonant sounding block attached thereto, is rubbed on a soundboard. Skilled users are able to produce the desired sound. See Wisor, U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,184, Orzetti, U.S. Pat. No. 3,716,943, Funk, U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,639, Jacobs, U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,98, Wingate, U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,852, and Sabol, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,527.
As shown in these patents, the most common prior art block is cylindrical and includes an axially extending resonant cavity opening through one end and a smaller bore for receiving the rod continuing therethrough to the other end. The rod is fixedly secured within the smaller bore and extends coaxially with the sounding block. The combination of rod and block is often referred to as a xe2x80x9cstrikerxe2x80x9d and the soundboard as a xe2x80x9cstriking plate.xe2x80x9d The soundboard is held in one hand while the tip of the vibratory rod is held in the other. The tip is scraped across the surface of the plate, causing the rod to vibrate. The sounding block vibrates in response, and both vibrations are tuned and amplified by the resonant cavity. The striking plate also vibrates, adding to the emitted call. Properly done, the emanating sound mimics the cry of a wild turkey.
There are a wide variety of types of turkeys, young, old, male, female, each of which produce different sounds. Other sounds are produced when those same turkeys are engaged in different types of activities. Since the caller wishes to attract all of these, it is obvious that in order to be successful in the field, one must be able to produce a variety of calls; see Hall, supra, and Adams, U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,858.
The tone and timbre of the sound produced by conventional turkey callers is a function of all three elements: the striking plate, sounding block, and vibratory rod. The structure of each is fixed at manufacture, so each turkey call emits essentially only one call. Experienced callers create different sounding calls by holding the striking plate more or less tightly (Jacobs, supra) or by rubbing the vibratory rods against the striking plate with different pressures (Funk, supra) and/or with different types of strokes (Orzetti, supra), but these produce only minor variations of the basic call.
Some in the prior art have attempted to provide a single turkey call which can produce a variety of sounds, but to the inventor""s knowledge, the emphasis has been on modifying the soundboard. Adams and Sabol, supra, replaced the soundboard with a resonating box capable of emitting a plurality of selectable sounds. They are successful for their intended purpose, but they tend to be bulky, complicated, and easily damaged.
The last resort is to carry a variety of different turkey calls (Sabol, supra). While effective, this becomes cumbersome to the already overloaded enthusiast.
A single turkey call which can produce a variety of sounds is needed. The disclosed invention meets that need.
Conceptually significant to the instant invention are the patents to Wisor and Hall, supra.
Wisor discloses a vibratory rod 46-48 which is adjustable relative to the sounding block 6 in order to change the length of the rod which is exposed beyond the block. Wisor teaches:
xe2x80x9cIt should be noted that the bore 16 extends all the way through the bottom 18 and that the portion 46 of the peg [i.e., vibratory rod] which is anchored therein is capable of being pushed through the bore all the way or partly so in order to thus shorten the free vibratory portion 48 of the peg. Experience has shown that this highly significant adjustable peg anchoring feature 16 and 46 has much to do with perfection of the quality of tone which is necessary to imitate a good and convincing turkey yelp.xe2x80x9d Wisor, column 3, lines 32-40.
Thus, Wisor teaches that the tone and timbre of his turkey call is dependent upon the length of the vibratory portion of his vibratory rod, not a new concept, for musicians have tuned rigid vibrators that way for centuries. Wisor continues by suggesting that the connection between the rod and block should be made in such a way that they are relatively adjustable. A close reading of the patent, however, shows he clearly intends the adjustments to be made prior to taking it into the field, else the cap 40 would not fit on the sounding block when tuning the striker results in the peg extending beyond the bottom of the block (FIG. 3, column 2, last sentence). It is also clear Wisor does not even consider the possibility of the adjustment being made by hand in the field. This can be inferred from the terms used to describe the connection of rod and block: xe2x80x9cfriction fitted but slidingly adjustablexe2x80x9d (column 3, lines 4-5), xe2x80x9cpeg which is anchored thereinxe2x80x9d (column 3, line 34), and xe2x80x9cpeg anchoring featurexe2x80x9d (column 3, line 38). It is clear that the peg is to be relatively fixed, anchored, within the block but not permanently, e.g., as by gluing, so that it cannot be forced to slide. This type of force fit cannot be achieved and adjusted by hand; tools must be used, and taking tools into the field replaces one problem with another. There is nothing in Wisor which states explicitly nor which would imply to one skilled in the art the concept that the adjustability should be effected by hand or could be effected in the field.
Hall fixes the vibratory rod to the sounding block such that the vibratory rod has a shorter end projecting beyond one end of the sounding block and a longer end projecting from the other end of the sounding block. He teaches that the sound produced by the call depends upon which end of the rod is scratched against the soundboard, a variation of the Wisor teaching concerning the effect of the length of the vibratory end. Hall also intends the lengths to be fixed at manufacture, not to be adjustable at all, and certainly not adjustable by hand in the field.
The problem faced by Wisor and Hall was in finding a way to maintain a solid connection between the vibratory rod and the sounding block while permitting adjustments in relative positioning therebetween. It is recognized throughout the industry that the connection between rod and block must be firm. Otherwise, vibrations from the rod will not be effectively transmitted to the block for tuning and amplification. On the other hand, in order to be loose enough to be adjusted manually, the connection cannot be too tight. Prior attempts favoring making the striker rod loose enough to be easily moved by hand within the striker block has resulted in poor acoustical connections producing weak calls with poor tonal qualities which have proved to be woefully ineffective. The two criteria are seemingly mutually exclusive, and, until now, it has not been possible to combine them in a single striker.
The present invention overcomes the difficulties described above by providing a turkey call in which the orientation of the vibratory rod relative to the sounding block can be changed by hand in the field.
It is an object of the invention, therefore, to provide a turkey call which permits the tone and timbre of its call to be changed at will by hand in the field.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a turkey call in which the striker is adjustable in order to change the sound produced by the turkey call.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a turkey call in which the connection between the vibratory rod and the sounding block is sufficiently tight that vibrations from the rod are effectively transmitted to the block for tuning and amplification while being loose enough that the rod is easily manipulated to slide within the striker block.